153: Chapter 153 The Fifth Life, The Blazing Sun Illuminates the Martial Path (101)

As soon as the words fell, with a "thud," the youngest one's legs gave way, and he knelt down.

Immediately after, Shi Tie and the other also knelt down with "thud, thud" sounds.

The three of them kowtowed heavily to Chu Shi, their foreheads striking the hard stone floor with a "thump, thump" sound.

"Thank you, Senior Brother, for not abandoning us. We are willing!"

"We are willing to follow Senior Brother Chu through fire and water, without hesitation!"

Why would they need to consider any pros or cons?

To be able to go from a mere chore disciple who couldn't even make it onto the sect's official roster, to stepping up to become an Outer Sect Disciple in one leap—this was a heaven-sent opportunity that many people wouldn't even dare to dream of.

As for serving Senior Brother Chu? What did that matter! To be able to follow a heaven-sent prodigy like Chu Shi was a blessing they had cultivated over eight lifetimes.

Chu Shi nodded with satisfaction; this was within his expectations.

"Get up," he waved his hand. "Pack your things, and come with me in three days."

After saying this, Chu Shi turned and returned to his small cabin.

He left the three of them—Shi Tie and the others—kneeling on the ground, looking at each other, their eyes shimmering with the wild joy of surviving a disaster and tears of excitement.

The night passed without incident.

Over the next three days, Chu Shi did not attempt to refine any more Treasure Artifacts.

He took out all the scraps and unused ore remaining from the past six months and dumped them all into the refining furnace.

The flames in the refining furnace burned day and night, the crimson fire illuminating the entire workshop as if it were day.

The clanging sounds of hammering continued from morning till night, hardly ever stopping.

Chu Shi's movements became faster and more proficient; every hammer strike was precise and flawless.

Shi Tie and the others were not idle either. They continued as usual, silently assisting Chu Shi, clearing out furnace slag, polishing rough blanks, and preparing the next batch of materials.

It was just that everyone's face carried undisguisable joy and anticipation, and they worked even harder than before.

On the evening of the third day, as the final hammer fell heavily, the last rune of the final top-grade magical artifact was finally completely inscribed.

The crimson furnace fire slowly extinguished, and the workshop finally fell silent.

Chu Shi put down the iron hammer in his hand and rotated his slightly sore wrists.

Sweat from his forehead slid down his cheeks and dripped onto the scorching stone floor, making a "hiss" sound before instantly evaporating.

He called over Shi Tie, who was cleaning the refining furnace, and said:

"Everything is done. Tomorrow, after I bid farewell to Elder Jin, we will leave this place."

Shi Tie hurriedly stopped his work, vigorously wiped his soot-covered hands on his clothes, and stood respectfully to the side.

Subsequently, Chu Shi pulled a sealed envelope from his bosom. Beneath the envelope was a crimson-gold Core Disciple token engraved with a Lieyang Peak pattern, along with a bulging storage bag.

He handed all these items to Shi Tie.

Shi Tie hurriedly extended both hands and carefully received them.

The Core Disciple token felt heavy in his hand, carrying a hint of cold metallic texture, yet it made his palms feel slightly warm.

"Take the two of them, and bring these things to the Outer Sect Disciple Canglan Courtyard to find my paternal uncle, Deacon Chu Feng," Chu Shi instructed.

"Ask him to help you transfer to become Outer Sect Disciples based on my recommendation letter and token, and have you registered at Canglan Courtyard."

He pointed to the heavy storage bag: "Inside are all the high-grade and top-grade magical artifacts I refined over these past three days, seventy pieces in total."

"Hand them all over to my uncle and have him help you dispose of them."

"Then, use the resources obtained in exchange to purchase the best Magical Artifact refining furnace, prepare a batch of commonly used refining materials and ores, and have them delivered to Tingyang Courtyard."

"That is my cave dwelling on Lieyang Peak; I will be refining artifacts there from now on."

"This disciple understands! This disciple will definitely get it done!" Shi Tie nodded vigorously, clutching the items tightly to his chest as if holding the most precious treasure in the world.

Chu Shi said nothing more and turned back to his small cabin.

He left Shi Tie and the other two standing in front of the messy refining table, looking at each other, too excited to speak.

Early the next morning, just as the sky was beginning to brighten.

Chu Shi changed into a clean purple Core Disciple robe, tidied his appearance, and arrived at the door of the inner room belonging to Elder Jin, a place he had never stepped foot in before.

He took a deep breath and respectfully knocked on the door.

"Enter," came Elder Jin's aged and calm voice from inside.

Hearing this, Chu Shi pushed the door open and entered.

The inner room was much smaller than the outer workshop, but the layout was largely similar.

Only, the walls were covered in dense, complex array inscriptions that were dizzying to behold, and the air was filled with a scent of metal and fire a hundred times more concentrated than outside.

In the center of the room stood a pitch-black, three-legged refining furnace.

Nine lifelike fire dragons coiled around the furnace body, their mouths wide open as if they might spew flames at any moment.

Although no fire was lit, it still exuded a majestic, heavy, and daunting pressure.

The furnace body was covered with scratches and scorch marks of varying depths—the imprints left by time.

This was clearly the place where Elder Jin personally refined artifacts daily.

Elder Jin sat on a meditation cushion by the furnace, with a small, coarse pottery tea table placed in front of him.

He pointed to the meditation cushion opposite him, signaling for Chu Shi to sit.

Chu Shi sat down as instructed, and with great perceptiveness, picked up the teapot to pour Elder Jin a cup of steaming hot tea.

The two of them drank tea while chatting casually.

From insights on artifact refining to trivial matters in the valley, before they knew it, they were talking about Chu Shi's master, Peak Master Lieyang.

"That master of yours, Master Li Er, was actually picked up by me," Elder Jin took a sip of tea, his eyes becoming distant.

"More than thirty years ago, I went to the northern ice plains to collect Ice Soul Profound Crystals. At the foot of a snow-capped mountain, I encountered him, heavily injured and on the verge of death."

"At that time, he was only fifteen, covered in blood, lying in the snow, almost frozen into an ice sculpture."

Chu Shi listened, entranced. This was the first time he had heard these past events about his master.

"I originally didn't want to get involved," Elder Jin smiled, his tone carrying a hint of nostalgia.

"I have lived for so many years and have long grown accustomed to life and death, partings and reunions."

"But just as I was about to turn and leave, I suddenly discovered that the snow mountain beneath him was actually slightly hot."

"I went down to take a look, and good heavens, there was actually an active volcano hidden underneath, and the Ice-Fire Lotus I had been searching for for decades just happened to be growing on the crater."

"What was even more coincidental was that when I saved him, I discovered that this kid was actually born with the Scorching Sun Constitution."

"It was precisely because he was heavily injured and on the verge of death that his Scorching Sun Constitution spontaneously awakened, triggering the volcano beneath."

The old man's face showed a look of deep emotion: "Wouldn't you say this is fate?"

"Therefore, I brought him back to the Sacred Land and handed him over to my old friend, the previous Peak Master Lieyang, Yang Tianba."

"The kid was quite capable, and in just over a hundred years, he took over the position of Peak Master Lieyang."

"Come to think of it, he was also a tragic figure back then," Elder Jin paused, his tone becoming a bit lower.

"Back then, he was originally the legitimate son of his family, having enjoyed a life of luxury and comfort since childhood."

"Later, however, he fell in love with a girl from a small family."

"Unfortunately, his family did not agree. In order to find that childhood sweetheart of a girl, he completely broke with his family and ran away from home."

"As it turned out, the girl's family, in order to cling to power and influence, had long since betrothed her to someone else."

"He went to reason with them, but instead, he was beaten out and even hunted down."

"That is how he fled all the way to the ice plains and nearly lost his life."

"So, the things he hates most in this life are betrayal of trust and forcible seizure," Elder Jin looked at Chu Shi and said earnestly.

"He is strict with you because he truly regards you as his direct disciple, as the future of Lieyang Peak."

Chu Shi nodded silently.